RISMedia's Real Estate - March 2016

Update: Using Drones in Real Estate — page 15

Team Dynamics — page 76

www.rismedia.com

March 2016 $6.95

{Broker Best Practices} Opening the Lines of International Communication

by Paige Tepping

Bob Glaser President/CEO Smith & Associates Real Estate, a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® Tampa, Fla.

How does your company stay flexible and current?

Years in real estate: 28 Number of offices: 4 Number of agents: 240 Top tip for staying organized: Work on your top priorities early in the day.

Staying current boils down to being involved. That being said, many of our managers serve on state and national boards, and members of our staff are involved on an advisory level with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®. We also have a tech person who travels to meetings throughout the U.S. to stay up-to-date with what’s happening in the technology sector. Personally, I’m involved on the international side of things. This includes networking with international brokers and attending Luxury Portfolio International® meetings.

What are some of the current trends you see in your market right now?

How is the international market impacting your local real estate market?

We’re dealing with a consistent market that’s predominantly made up of next-generation move-up buyers who are showing great interest in urban centers. There’s been a lot of building taking place in St. Petersburg, Tampa and Clearwater, providing buyers with more options, which is causing them to move. All in all, we’re looking forward to a good 2016.

How are you preparing your agents for the future of real estate?

Preparing our agents for the future centers around the recent development of a CRM that will enable them to stay in touch with their customers by providing pertinent information.

What is the most significant trend positively affecting your business today?

The most significant trend affecting our business today is the fact that consumers are more knowledgeable than ever before when it comes to the buying or selling process. The fact that they have access to so much information is beneficial to us as real estate professionals because the more they know, the better the transaction.

58 March 2016 RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE

For us, we’ve been able to attend various meetings and develop one-on-one relationships with individuals from Italy, Belgium, Switzerland and Spain, which is crucial as we continue to experience rampant international growth. In addition, all of our listings are included in Luxury Portfolio International®, and we’re seeing a slow climb in interest when we look at the metrics on each listing in terms of who looked at it and from where. RE